Somali journalist, abducted at gunpoint, found alive

Mogadishu : A Somali journalist who was abducted on Saturday at gunpoint was found alive on Sunday after being tortured by his kidnappers, media reports said.

Hanad Ali Guled, who is working for an independent Goobjoog radio and television station, said he escaped from his abductors after the vehicle they were travelling in developed problems as they tried to move him from one place to another.

Guled was found on a farm near Afgoye town, about 30 km south of Mogadishu, shackled. He was later taken to police station in Afgoye for interrogation before being released, Xinhua news agency reported.

The media group's director Hassan Mohamud in a statement released on Sunday called for a thorough investigations into the abduction.

"The circumstances surrounding his kidnap still remain unknown to us and procedurally it is the work of security agencies and relevant government institutions to carry out investigations and ensure not only the safety of Guled but also journalists in general in Somalia," Mohamud said.

The journalist was reportedly driven to an unspecified place on Saturday and detained in a small room. Attempts by members of his family and fellow colleagues to establish his whereabouts remained futile.

Guled, whose colleagues at the station said he has been receiving threats over drought relief programme, said his legs were tightly chained while in captivity.

Somalia remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists with dozens having been killed, maimed or forced to leave the country.

The Committee to Protect Journalists says 26 journalists have been killed in Somalia from 2012 to date.